Dose tolerance limits and dose volume histogram evaluation for stereotactic body radiotherapy

Area of Science:

• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Established normal tissue tolerance limits exist for conventional radiotherapy.
• Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) utilizes distinct dosing, necessitating specific tolerance data.
• A comprehensive compilation of SBRT normal organ dose tolerance limits is currently lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an extensive literature review comparing SBRT dose limits used in publications.
• To create an initial dataset of normal organ dose tolerance limits for SBRT.
• To identify areas requiring further research and clinical validation.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature on SBRT normal organ dose tolerance.
• Comparison of dose limits reported across various studies.
• Organization of compiled data into a comprehensive table.

Main Results:

• A table of 500 normal organ dose tolerance limits for SBRT has been compiled.
• The review discusses the influence of methodological variations on reported dose limits.
• Several dose limits remain unknown or unvalidated.

Conclusions:

• SBRT normal organ dose tolerance data are preliminary and require further clinical trials.
• The compiled data serve as a foundation for clinical application and future research in SBRT.
• Validation of SBRT dose tolerance limits is crucial for patient safety and treatment efficacy.